Tang Xianzu’s Story | In Grandmother Lady Wei’s Embrace

“Come, come into my arms.” An elderly woman drew the young Tang Xianzu close. She was none other than Tang Xianzu’s grandmother, Madam Wei. Gently patting his back and swaying slightly, she hummed a folksong from their hometown. Strangely enough, the little boy, who had been coughing violently, curled up in his grandmother’s embrace; his cough seemed to ease almost at once, and he drifted off to sleep, sweetly.

Tang Xianzu’s Story | Bidding Farewell by the Banks of the Xujiang River

Breezes of the mountain wind blow in gusts, while the river flows on slowly. By the banks of the Xu River at the foot of Gushan Mountain, Tang Xianzu, having just completed his studies, bade farewell to his esteemed teacher, Luo Rufang. “Master, I must depart—please do not linger.”

A single aria from The Peony Pavilion draws forth all the fragrant blossoms.

Lecture Announcement | Tang Xianzu and the Four Dreams of Linchuan: Toward a Global Perspective on Tang Xianzu Studies

Social Sciences Popularization Week Series Event | The Exhibition on Diligence and Integrity Arrives at Fuzhou Vocational and Technical College

As an ancient prefecture in the Jiangyou region, Fuzhou boasts a long history and a profound cultural heritage. It has been home to numerous renowned scholars and eminent statesmen—such as Yan Shu, Wang Anshi, Zeng Gong, and Tang Xianzu—each of whom left behind a rich legacy of spiritual and cultural wealth. To promote the “Cultural Fuzhou: The Vessel of Dreams” brand, enhance the influence of the city’s outstanding cultural traditions, and strengthen collaboration between museums and educational institutions, from October 12 to 13, the Tang Xianzu Memorial Hall, the Wang Anshi Memorial Hall, and the Fuzhou Municipal Museum jointly organized a Social Sciences Popularization Week. The event brought a thematic exhibition on diligence and integrity directly to first-year students at Fuzhou Vocational and Technical College, laying a solid foundation for their new campus life and sowing the seeds of a culture of diligence and integrity.

Tang Xianzu’s Story | Setting High Ambitions in Youth

At the age of fourteen, Tang Xianzu entered the county school. The county school was the traditional institution where students prepared for the civil-service examinations; candidates were admitted only after passing the preliminary tongshi examination, which prepared them for higher-level tests. This was called “entering the school” or “enrolling,” and also referred to as ru pan (literally “entering the pond,” a classical metaphor for joining the scholarly community). Students were known as xiangsheng or shengyuan, commonly called xiucai; a xiucai could sit for the juren examination, and a juren could advance to the jinshi examination. In the year before he entered the county school, Tang Xianzu had already begun studying under Mr. Xu Liangfu in the city of Fuzhou and had won his teacher’s esteem.